The present invention is related to golf equipment. More specifically, the present invention is particularly, though not exclusively, related to an improved golf tee having an adjustable height for placement of the golf ball for optimum contact by a golf club.
Whether its competition between peers, or the desire to refine the game, golfing has become a popular pastime. Golfers are always in search of the perfect course, the perfect game, the perfect swing, the perfect clubs, or simply enjoying the outdoors. While the basic equipment for golfing continues to include a golf ball, golf club, and golf tee, the golfing industry has continuously made improvements to this equipment. However, despite the innovations in golfing equipment over the past years, the golf tee has remained substantially unchanged from the original wooden peg having a cup for receiving the golf ball, and improvements have been limited.
One such improvement is documented in U.S. Pat. No. 1,625,911 entitled xe2x80x9cGolf Teexe2x80x9d which issued to H. L. Richards in 1926. This patent discloses a golf tee having a cup with a threaded shaft, and a positioning disc formed with a threaded bore sized to receive the threaded shaft. By rotating the positioning disc relative to the threaded shaft, the positioning disc may be advanced over the shaft thereby raising the effective height of the golf tee. More particularly, by rotating the positioning disc clockwise relative to the shaft, the positioning disc advances toward the head of the tee making the effective height of the tee smaller. On the other hand, by rotating the positioning disc counter-clockwise relative to the shaft, the positioning disc advances away from the head of the tee making the effective height of the tee greater.
The golf tee disclosed by Richards was a stark improvement over the wooden peg, and provided the golfer with the ability to adjust the height of the golf tee. However, because the threaded portion of the golf tee is inserted into the playing surface, or soil, the ability to adjust the height of the golf tee ceases after the first use because the threads are filled with soil. Thus, while the Richards"" tee is adjustable, it is not re-adjustable due to the accumulation of soil in the threads.
Another improvement to golf tees is shown in U.S. Des. Pat. No. Des. 370,041 entitled xe2x80x9cAdjustable Height Golf Teexe2x80x9d, which issued to C. A. Thomas in 1996. This patent discloses a golf tee formed with a series of partially circumferential notches formed along the golf tee shaft, and a positioning disc formed with a center bore having an internal tab insertable into the circumferential notches. By choosing which of the circumferential notches to place the tab, the effective height of the golf tee is determined. For instance, when the desired height of the golf tee is small, the positioning disc is positioned along the shaft and the internal tab is inserted into a notch closer to the head of the tee. On the other hand, when the desired height of the golf tee is large, the positioning disc is positioned over the shaft and the internal tab is inserted into a notch closer to the base of the tee.
Because there are only a limited number of notches formed in distinct locations along the shaft of the golf tee, the height of the Thomas tee is only adjustable to a limited number of positions. Also, as with the Richards tee, once the Thomas tee is inserted into the soil, the partial circumferential notches of the Thomas tee will fill with soil thereby decreasing the ability to re-adjust the height of the tee.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,122 entitled xe2x80x9cAdjustable Golf Teexe2x80x9d which issued to P. G. Strong in 1997 discloses a golf tee having a shaft formed with a series of circumferential grooves, and a disc-like member formed with an offset internal aperture sized to receive the shaft, and formed with a smaller, central aperture which contacts the selected circumferential groove securing the disc-like member in place along the shaft. The disc-like member acts as a vertical stop to adjust the effective height of the golf tee.
Even though a number of circumferential grooves are formed along the shaft, the placement of the disc-like member is still limited to a handful of distinct positions. The disc-like member must be engaged into one of the circumferential grooves in order to set the height of the tee, and thus the golf tee is not continually adjustable along its entire length. Further, as with the other golf tees described above, the circumferential grooves will fill with soil on the first use, thereby complicating a second use of the tee with an different height.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 413,640 entitled xe2x80x9cContinuously Variable Height Golf Teexe2x80x9d which issued to W. P. Feurer III in 1999 discloses a golf tee having a threaded shaft, and a positioning disc formed with a threaded bore sized to receive the threaded shaft. The positioning disc is sized to have a diameter significantly larger than the diameter of the tee head for receiving the golf ball. Like the device disclosed in the ""911 patent, by rotating the positioning disc relative to the threaded shaft, the positioning disc may be advanced along the shaft thereby raising the effective height of the golf tee. More particularly, by rotating the positioning disc clockwise relative to the shaft, the positioning disc advances toward the head of the tee making the effective height of the tee smaller. On the other hand, by rotating the positioning disc counter-clockwise relative to the shaft, the positioning disc advances away from the head of the tee making the effective height of the tee greater.
The Feurer patent discloses a device, which is very similar to the Richards device outlined above, including the threaded shaft and a positioning disc formed with a threaded bore. As with the Richards device, the threads of the Feurer device will become filled with soil once inserted into the playing surface, effectively fixing the height of the tee for future use.
Another deficiency in the Feurer golf tee is the inability to consistently position the tee at a particular height. For instance, a particular height may be determined to be optimum for a particular golf club being used. However, once the golf tee has been used, it is often damaged, thereby preventing its re-use. However, because the Feurer golf tee has no indicia for identifying height settings, it is virtually impossible to set the height of the new tee to the height of the damaged tee unless a precise measurement was taken. Such measurements are unlikely to be taken during the heated competition of a golf game, and thus, there will inevitably exist a difference in the effective height of the golf tee.
Another concern with current golf tees is the inability to adjust the device without looking at it closely. For example, in order to precisely set the device disclosed in the ""122 and ""041 patents, the golfer must closely examine the tee and position the disk in the proper groove or slot. Similarly, the devices disclosed in the ""640 and ""911 patents would require the golfer to take a measurement of the effective height of the golf tee, or count threadsxe2x80x94neither of which is likely during a golf game. Coupling the requirement for a close visual examination of the golf tee with a golfer having far-sightedness, renders the current adjustable golf tees little improvement over the wooden peg golf tee.
While there have been a number of xe2x80x9cadjustablexe2x80x9d golf tees introduced to the marketplace, none truly remain adjustable following its first use. Also, while many golf tees have been touted as an adjustable tee, many are not continuously adjustable along the length of the shaft of the tee, and instead provide only a handful of fixed-height options.
In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide a golf tee that is continuously adjustable along the entire length of the shaft. It would also be advantageous to provide a golf tee that is initially adjustable, and remains easily adjustable following removal from the soil of the playing surface. It is also advantageous to provide a golf tee having the ability to consistently set the height of the tee, regardless of use or re-use, and without the requirement for close visual examination by the golfer.
The golf tee of the present invention includes a cup formed to receive and retain a golf ball. From the underside of the cup, a continuously threaded shaft extends and is formed with a longitudinal flat portion. A stop is formed with a threaded bore having threads complementary to those threads formed on the threaded shaft. Extending outward from the flat portions of the shaft are tactile engagement posts formed to engage the threads of the threaded stop as it threads along the threaded shaft.
The engagement posts provide for the self-cleaning of the threads of the golf tee, and also provides a tactile response. There is a distinct resistance to rotation of the threaded stop when the stop contacts the tactile posts. More specifically, when the threaded stop is positioned on the shaft adjacent a engagement post, the rotation of the stop is more difficult than rotation at a position on the shaft having no engagement post. In this manner, the user may tactilely determine whether the positioning disc is adjacent a tactile engagement post or between tactile engagement posts.
By introducing the positioning disc to the end of the shaft opposite the cup, the golfer may begin rotating the positioning disc about the shaft thereby advancing the positioning disc toward the cup. Due to the tactile feedback provided by the tactile engagement post, the golfer may determine the exact position of the threaded stop along the shaft simply by counting the number of tactile posts that have been passed. As a result of this purely tactile height setting, a golfer having little or no near-sightedness can easily, accurately, and repeatably set the height of his or her golf tee.